Workshop Session A (10:15 am - 11:40 am)

What ecophilosophy would you use to create environmental interpretive materials for an outdoor space near you? A curriculum-connected, site-specific ecological context provided the framework for creating a unique set of interpretive signage panels in a suburban grassland and parkland setting in northwest Calgary. Students, teachers, parents, and community members worked together to produce the art, poetry, and text for 34 amazingly beautiful and provocative signs for both school-based and public education. Find out what they did and how they did it, and then think about how you might develop an overarching ecophilosophy for environmental engagement in your school, workplace, and/or community.

Polly Knowlton Cockett is a doctoral student in Environmental Education in the Faculty of Education at the University of Calgary. She is also a teacher with the Calgary Board Education, and holds Master’s degrees in both Science Education and Geology. For over a decade, Polly has voluntarily managed the award winning outdoor environmental projects at Dr. E.W. Coffin School in northwest Calgary. The current project involves the creation of a unique set of interpretive signage panels incorporating original art, poetry, and text by both students and community members, celebrating our natural prairie and parkland heritage, and our place within it.

Discover how the World Water Day Youth Summit can:

1. engage your students in water activism,
2. provide funding for youth lead projects and
3. offer project support through the youth mentoring program.

Centre for Affordable Water & Sanitation Technology (CAWST), an international humanitarian organization that provides technical consulting and training on household water treatment in developing countries, has created a youth summit that brings together youth, educators, group mentors, and experts from the field for a day of discussion, debate, and action planning on global water issues. This workshop will introduce CAWST and their specific youth services, review the summit agenda, and offer examples of past youth projects.

Bryndis Whitson joined CAWST as Marketing Coordinator in February 2008 to manage CAWST’s public engagement, youth, and volunteer programs and market CAWST’s services. She brings five years of public sector experience working both at the Senate of Canada and the City of Calgary. Bryndis holds a double Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies, Geography, and Political Science (University of Calgary). She sits on the Board of the Alberta Ballet Community Engagement Council, a National Women's Commission, and Equal Voice Alberta South, and volunteers in the Calgary community.

Many people are concerned about world peace, but are not sure what to constructively do with their passion. This workshop details the steps I took to establish and maintain a “World Peace Club” as a school club: issues related to establishing a school-based World Peace Club; potential roadblocks and resources; and specific activities and their degree of success.

Dan Hula is in his 25th year of teaching. He has taught from grades 2-9, mostly grades 7 & 8, and has taught grade five the past four years. Dan has always been interested in peace-related themes, and completed a Masters of Education program on International and Intercultural Education in Education Policies Studies at the University of Alberta.

The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) were created by the United Nations in the year 2000 with the vision to reduce poverty in half by 2015. This workshop uses the MDGs as a framework to explore poverty issues and the realities of the developing world. Coupled with the use of theatre participant are lead through a process that examines the underlying issues of poverty and how our own lives are connected to them. Using giant 8 foot puppets, participants will uncover a play that has emerged throughout the day that will be presented at the conference.

Erin Wilkins is the Public Engagement Director with CAUSE Canada – an Alberta based International Relief and Development organization that facilitates community development projects in Central America and West Africa. For the last year and a half, Erin has used theatre to engage students in conversations about poverty and issues of the developing world. Through her work she has seen amazing insight from students as young as six years old, as they explore the connectedness of our lives.

A full day, outdoor exploration celebrating the spirit of John Muir, developed by The Institute for Earth Education. This workshop is ideally a dawn (6:30 am) till dusk (7:30 pm) experience that includes a number of inputs designed to focus a day of random exploration of a wild place on experiencing the day in the spirit of noted naturalist and author John Muir. This is an excellent session for those wanting some contact with the natural world, and for those teaching high school.

Participants need to be prepared to be outdoors for 12-14 hours (rain, snow, or shine), all meals will be carried by participants. Participants will need to attend an information/preparation session on the evening of Thursday, April 10, from 9-9:30 pm at Goldeye Centre.

Maximum number of participants: 10 people

Participants are required to bring the following items:

• Appropriate clothing - insulating layers, wind/rain layers, sturdy footwear, head/hand wear
• Backpack, 2 water bottles, thermos

Most Environmental Educators love to work with engaged youth ready to learn about environmental issues and motivated to take direct action immediately. Unfortunately, these motivated and engaged students likely make up only 20% of a typical classroom. How does one engage the other 80% of students less inclined to see environmental issues as we do? Participants in this interactive workshop will learn how to adapt to their classroom psychological theories and interventions designed to increase engagement and motivation. They will leave with practical skills to engage their most disengaged students and motivate them toward action.

Hans Holthuis is a whitewater canoeist by nature but, after completing an M.Ed. in Counselling Psychology, Hans worked for two summers at Outward Bound Canada’s Eastern School learning the wonders of “the portage.” Since 1998, he has worked as a Registered Psychologist in a chronic pain clinic, in private practice, and for the Calgary Health Region. In 2007, he completed an Education degree with a specialization in Secondary Science at the University of Calgary. Along with his work in psychology, he works as a substitute teacher. He most recently completed a temporary contract teaching High School English for several months in Canmore.

Workshop Session B (1:00 pm - 2:25 pm)

This workshop is designed to simulate a journey toward full, active, responsible global citizenship. Participants are encouraged to take stock of their present place within the global context and then consider a vision for the world in which they would like to live when the UN anticipates the successful attainment of the Millennium Development Goals in 2015. The workshop is geared to help educators move students toward a deeper understanding of their role in achieving these goals. Opportunities for taking action will complete the workshop.

Sara Coumantarakis works in the International Education Branch of Alberta Education, coordinating the teacher exchange program. She has worked in global education with the ATA and Learning Network, as well as with Safe and Caring Schools. Diana Coumantarakis works with the Alberta Council for Global Cooperation, a coalition of non-governmental organizations in Alberta involved in development work. She has recently returned from a project in Guatemala. This mother-daughter team loves to travel, read and stay hopeful and enthusiastic about the challenges associated with being responsible global citizens.

Broadband wireless telecommunication networks are expanding into increasingly remote areas of the world, opening exciting new frontiers for social and environmental education. This workshop will focus on strategies for engaging and developing these frontiers, for bringing live and interactive content from remote locations into classrooms and living rooms, and for producing such content within Alberta.

James Van Leeuwen is a social and environmental entrepreneur focused on building capacity for learning and communication. He resides in Pincher Creek, Alberta, where he operates strategic consulting firm Ventus Development Services Inc. with his wife and business partner, Celesa Horvath. They have one daughter, Anemone (Annie) Leigh.

Let’s assume that we have a chance, and it’s a modest one, to preserve for all time our wilderness, our protected lands, and our nature. If we have that chance then our best guess is that we have just one generation to really reach our youth. Our response? We will use innovative and creative methods in a concerted effort to reach youth through emotional personal experiences. In Jasper National Park, we have an awe-inspiring place, yet “no place is a place until things happen in it” (Stegner 1992). We will provide an opportunity for the youth who visit Jasper (both virtually and in person) to distinguish beyond the recreational playground.

James Bartram has a broad range of international experience in formal and informal education. Most recently he has spearheaded stewardship education in Jasper for GYRD and Parks Canada. He lead the development of the Alberta Education locally developed course “Stewardship of JNP and Outdoor Skills” and is now collaborating with regional and national organizations to develop high school credit and enhancement programs. James earned his first Degree (BSc Hons) with Certificate of Education in (1997) and later his Masters in Education Management from the University of Warwick (2002). He has taught in the UK, France, New Zealand, BC and Alberta.

Vonn Bricker is Director of Integrated Land Use for the Fish and Wildlife Division of Sustainable Resource Development. He uses and instructs on the use of GPS for natural resource management and is an avid geocacher.

The “Reconnecting to the Land” title refers to a curriculum that has been developed by a group of individuals from ten First Nations groups. Outdoor Education Curriculum is to be delivered in First Nations High Schools in Manitoba. This curriculum has been developed to bring back the traditional teachings to First Nation communities in Manitoba through the education system, and bring back the respect in our people and give them back their identity.

Mike Sutherland is an employee of Manitoba Conservation and a part of the Aboriginal Relations Branch, working with aboriginal communities and creating a working relationship with them and MB Conservation. He is also a hunter and gatherer, runs a trapline in the winter, and does a lot of recreational fishing and fishing for sustenance.

I teach youth about what it is to be a trapper, hunter and gatherer and why we should respect the land we are a part of. As my grandfather says “we don’t own the land, we are a part of it” and if we teach this to our children and show them they are the stewards of the land then they have to spread the word that is taught to them, which is “we need to ensure there is a tomorrow for our children”.

Workshop Session C (2:40 pm - 4:05 pm)

Educators, program managers and even the media spend a great deal of time communicating about environmental issues. Yet, are we certain that our audiences listen with the same context in which our messages are sent? Are we always sure that people hear what we mean to say? This workshop will focus on some major obstacles to environmental message reception. Participants will discuss ways to ensure that audiences relate to our messages and understand the outcomes we anticipate when delivering information. Participants will also explore a variety of strategies, words and images that can help people directly relate to the messages we communicate.

Margaret Chandler has been active in the Calgary environmental community for 20 years. She is the owner of Green Fuse Communications, which focuses primarily on environmental communications – writing and editing; workshops and presentations; and event management. Pat Letizia is the Executive Director of Alberta Ecotrust Foundation and has been a trainer and facilitator for many years. She has extensive knowledge of environmental issues and the environmental community in Alberta and is keenly interested in social change and behaviour. Pat is currently pursuing graduate studies in environmental communication.

Water, or the lack there of, is probably the largest issue facing Alberta's future. This vital resource shapes our lives and landscapes in every way possible; but an ever-growing demand and a diminishing supply means that efficient use and conservation measures will soon need to be common practice. Join CPAWS educators to find out how to get students thinking about their local geography and water resources. This workshop will explore a diversity of issues AND solutions that affect Alberta's watersheds. Discover various teaching activities and methods that will help your students learn content, make connections and become engaged in water conservation practices.

The Calgary-Banff chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) works to protect wild ecosystems in parks and protected areas. One of the best tools to do this is education. Our education team has been offering engaging, environmental education programs since 1997. These include classroom programs and guided hikes focused on endangered species, grizzly bears, and environmental stewardship. Our newest initiative is the development of an innovative, cross-curricular water education program. This program takes a watershed approach and uses inquiry, story, drama, props and video technology to get grade 5's thinking about their local water resources.

Workshop Session D (9:45 am - 11:10 am)

Climate change is one of the top environmental concerns of our generation. The term is a very old term that has received a lot of attention in the last 20 years so it is relatively new for most of us. What do we need to know about climate change? How do we teach about climate change? Do we just need to focus on solutions? What resources are available for learning/teaching about climate change? This session will begin with questions and participants will engage in various activities to work through answers to the questions.

Kathy Worobec is the Pembina Institute’s Director of Alberta Green Learning. Kathy has over 20 years of experience in developing, implementing, delivering and managing environmental education programs for youth and teachers. Kathy has taught in the classroom, worked in the energy efficiency field with the Alberta Department of Energy and worked as a consultant before joining the non-profit environmental education sector. She received her education degree from the University of Alberta and joined the Pembina Institute’s Edmonton office in 2003.

A Humanities teacher and a Math/Science teacher teamed together to create a cross-curricular project as an extension of the book If the World Were a Village: A Book About the World’s People by David J. Smith. The classes created their own version of the book by gathering their own data about their school demographics, and researching small changes that their families could do to make the world a better place. They analyzed and represented their research in meaningful ways, including creating their own second version of the book with artwork and graphs to convince their audience that small changes would benefit their community over time. We’ll also touch on an initiative to create a yearly school-wide Peace Festival. Rubrics and project lesson plan will be handed out.

Chenoa Marcotte and Chris Dittmann both teach at the Calgary Science School. The Calgary Science School’s charter focuses on inquiry-based learning across the curriculum, including incorporating real-world contexts to investigate curriculum topics.

Participants will learn about Project Wild, an extensive collection of activities that assist educators in incorporating conservation education into all subject areas and all grades. The workshop will include hands-on learning, lesson planning, and an overview of how to use the Project Wild manual. Participants will leave with a certificate of completion, curriculum linked resources, and the latest edition of the Project Wild manual.

Please note: In order to receive the certificate and manual, there is an additional $35 fee. Please bring a cheque to the workshop.

Having completed a Master’s degree in Environmental Education and Communication, Tai Munro recently launched a community of Environmental Educators in the North/Central Alberta Region. She is also looking forward to starting a PhD program in September 2008 with a focus on environmental education. She works with various organizations, devoting her time to helping others have positive nature experiences and assisting them in learning more about the natural world. Tai is an avid photographer enjoying taking photographs that encourage the viewer to think outside of their everyday lives.

Five Minute Field Trips is designed for teachers and classes wishing to do simple and meaningful outdoor environmental activities on their school campus. This is a ’greatest hits” compilation of some of Gareth’s favourite activities! All participants will receive a free activity guide (47 pages, 40 activities).

Gareth Thomson is Program Chair for this conference, and Executive Director of the Alberta Council for Environmental Education and has 18 years experience in environmental education, working first for the government of Alberta and subsequently as the first Education Director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS). He has been a board member of several grantmaking foundations, served on Canmore’s municipal Town Council, and taught at an International Baccalaureate high school. A proud father of two exceptional children, Gareth can still occasionally be sighted on the hiking trails around Canmore.

Albertans cherish the opportunity to recreate in our parks and enjoy our public land. Whether enjoying a summer camping trip or an after-school ATV ride, many of our closest connections to the outdoors occur through our recreational activities. Join Alberta government staff for an introduction to the realities, opportunities, and challenges associated with recreation on Alberta’s parks and public land. This workshop will begin with an introductory indoor component followed by a field tour of popular nearby recreational areas (i.e. Bighorn Dam and Crescent Falls.) Discussions will cover impacts to resources, recreating responsibly, and connection to curriculum.

This workshop will be delivered by a team of talented government staff.

Learn to use elements of storytelling, theatre and music to create an original presentation that is tailored to deliver a specific, fundamental message. You will be able to incorporate these techniques immediately into the classroom. Put the power to teach and the opportunity to perform into the hands of your students.

Kevin Flesher currently works as a Distance Learning Educator. That means he creates and delivers live video conferences to classrooms around the world about palaeontology and stuff. During the summer, he is a camp counselor at Badlands Science Camp. He is a recipient of the Platinum Award for overall excellence from Interpretation Canada and is the Town Crier of Edmonton. He is a former music/ drama teacher and lives in Drumheller with his wife, two daughters and dog, Prince Pancake.

Workshop Session E (11:20 am - 12:45 pm)

This session will provide background information, strategic initiatives, and framework information about the CBE’s strategy to advance environmental literacy and stewardship. This is a very exciting model that other school boards are considering for adoption. Come and find out more!

Roy Strum is currently the Curriculum Consultant with the Education, Energy, Environment team, Calgary Board of Education (CBE). He is the Coordinator of the Institute for Earth Education Canada, a non-profit, charitable organization that develops environmental education programs. Roy has worked as a classroom teacher with the CBE, Rocky View School Division, and was the Camp Director at Kamp Kiwanis near Bragg Creek, AB for 11 years. Roy lives with his wife and three children in Bragg Creek.

Since the 1950s, there has been a remarkable shift in teacher education programs to groom teachers with attitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary to meet tasking demands of a highly globalizing planet. Teachers must prepare themselves to incorporate global perspectives in curriculum and instruction. The objective of the workshop is to showcase the value of helping students develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in this highly globalizing world; and, with the help of various conceptual frameworks (Merryfield, 1997) and activities, to challenge significant teaching methodologies and the resourcefulness of teachers to incorporate global perspectives in the classroom.

The Global Education Team (GET) is part of the Global Education Network (GEN) at the University of Alberta. The Team is composed of mainly undergraduate students and some grad students. We have presented a workshop at the 2007 GEOEC conference in addition to the various workshops and seminars we have presented at the UofA International Week 2007 and Educational Policy Studies department at UofA. We are a vibrant group of students working on policy changes on citizenship education, human rights education, peace education, and environmental education/education for sustainable development. Tsion Abate, a grad student and an active member of GEN, is the coordinator of GET.

Andrea Barnes and Vicki Perkins both work for the Kananaskis Country Environmental Education program. They have been developing and delivering programs for over 10 years. They are both certified teachers but chose to spend most of their days, in the field, tromping around with junior and senior high students.

Lorraine Lastiwka, Program Manager K-12 Science, and Sherry Taylor, Curriculum Manager K-6 Science, are currently involved in the development of the new Alberta K-6 Science Program of Studies. Both have extensive experience as classroom science teachers, and are focused on improving science education for every student in Alberta classrooms.

Workshop Session F (2:00 pm - 3:25 pm)

Come learn two ways (one for beginners, one more advanced) of integrating global citizenship into your classroom. Using two books (The Better World Shopping Guide and The Better World Handbook), I’ll discuss how intellectual understanding can be combined with practical, hands-on activities to achieve a broader consciousness among students as they consider their global responsibilities as citizens of a single planet. Leave with effective tools, strategies, and resources that you can use as soon as you walk out the door.

A scholar of corporate social responsibility, global citizenship and everyday activism, Dr. Ellis Jones is a GEOEC 2008 keynote speaker, and has been giving presentations across the country on how to turn lofty ideals into practical, effective actions. His books include the bestselling Better World Handbook (winner of Spirituality & Health’s Best Book of the Year Award for 2001 under the category of Hope) and the newly released Better World Shopping Guide (the only comprehensive guide for socially and environmentally responsible consumers available). He currently teaches in the department of sociology at University of California, Davis.

The United Nations has declared 2005 to 2014 the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD). All governments are encouraged to consider the inclusion of ESD into their education systems. A group of organizations/individuals has been working to develop an Alberta decade action plan. The DESD work builds on many existing initiatives such as environmental education and so the groups involved have been building on existing work and networks. This session will provide an overview of the decade and the initial steps taken across Canada and here in Alberta. What has been done, what is planned and how can you become involved or take action in your own community or school?

Kathy Worobec is the Pembina Institute’s Director of Alberta Green Learning. Gareth Thomson is the Executive Director for Alberta Council for Environmental Education. A group of Alberta organizations and individuals have come together to initiate Education for Sustainable Development activities in Alberta during the UN Decade. Kathy and Gareth will be speaking on behalf of these organizations (Alberta Environment, Alberta Education, Asokan Project, Carbon Busters, City of Edmonton, University of Alberta, Olds Junior/Senior High School and other individuals).

Roy Strum is an educator who has spent much of the past 20 years teaching earth education programs in the Calgary area, that help to develop understandings and feelings for the natural world that result in living lightly lifestyle choices.

This workshop provides hands-on experiences, tying high-level water health concepts into easy-to-understand, practical experiences for Division 2 and 3. Specific curriculum links are clearly outlined, while highlighting some of the available teaching tools and resources. The content focus of the workshop is linking specific understandings of water quality to more broad understandings of watershed health and specifically, our role within our watershed. Each step of the way, participants work with hands-on activities to draw out deeper understanding. Each participant will receive one of the newly developed watershed puzzle activities to take back to their classroom and share their learning.

Cory Habulin and Krista Tremblett co-lead Alberta Environment’s water education and outreach program. They focus on participatory approaches, social marketing and community-based environmental education in working with a variety of audiences. Cory and Krista also work to maintain a strong youth focus. They continue to build and strengthen partnerships such as those with Inside Education and Ducks Unlimited to develop water classroom resource kits, presentations, professional development opportunities and other programs to assist teachers in environmental education. Cory leads Alberta Environment’s Youth Environmental Stewardship program and works to ensure environmental education is applicable to the 16-25 audience.

Educators and teachers play an integral part in helping students to create a sense of place in nature. Discover the power of observational journaling, place-based education, and even a “special spot” as opportunities to develop excitement and stewardship for nature. Kelly Small and Trish Savill will share successes from the weeklong Open Minds/Campus Calgary program and simple ways to integrate a sense of place into your teaching, whether in the classroom or at a non-formal site. We’ll take it outside to find a special spot and practice observational exercises and journaling techniques that can easily meld with any curriculum.

Kelly Small has been the coordinator of the Open Minds program at the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area for three years and has seen the power of connecting students to a place. Trish Savill, Director of the Open Minds/Campus Calgary program is an experienced educator with the Calgary Board of Education who creates opportunities for students and teachers to grow and develop through the use of inquiry, place-based learning and hands on experiences in the community.